Can A Breastfeeding Mom Dye Or Perm Her Hair?
In This Article
Women are often skeptical about using beauty products or going to the salon for a hair dye, coloring their hair or perming while they are pregnant or breastfeeding their baby. The usage of the chemicals, acids, and other elements pose a concern, and most parents want to know whether hair treatments can endanger their breastfeeding baby. So, we’ve compiled some relevant information on dying and perming hair while you are nursing a child.
But, before we talk about hair treatments while you are breastfeeding, here are some of the most commonly available hair treatments:
Coloring: It is done to cover the grays or to give your hair a new look. There are permanent, semi-permanent and temporary dyes available in the market to suit all your hair coloring needs.
Bleaching: This treatment uses Hydrogen Peroxide to change the natural color of your hair.
Perming: Used to curl your hair or to straighten it using sodium hydroxide solutions or potassium or lithium solutions.
Curling: Two types of hair solutions are used to create permanent waves in the hair. The first liquid used is called a waving solution, and the other is called as the neutralizer or the fixation solution for the curls.
All the above mentioned and commonly adopted hair treatments utilize chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, sodium hydroxide, lye, potassium, etc. to treat hair and get the desirable effects.
But mothers are often worried if they can continue to use these treatments and products involved while they are pregnant or breastfeeding. The safety of their child is their primary concern and often asks their beauticians if they can opt for these treatments during gestation or lactation.
[ Read: Tattoo While Breastfeeding ]
Can Nursing Mothers Continue Hair Dying Or Perming Treatments?
Research and studies indicate quite clearly that the semi-permanent or permanent dyes are safe for use during pregnancy and lactation and that these colors can be used by expecting or breastfeeding mothers. There is a low chance of the chemicals and dyes being absorbed into the bloodstream which can affect their milk production and cause a threat to the health and wellbeing of the baby.
What Are The Alternatives?
If you are still concerned with the safety of your baby and reluctant to use the conventional methods of dying and coloring your hair while you are breastfeeding, you can always opt for the safer alternatives and carry on with the regular treatments. Instead of going global for hair coloring, methods and procedures such as highlighting, in which the color is only on the hair strands, leaving your scalp free from all those chemicals. Apart from that, the method does not require regular touch-ups, and the chemicals will not be absorbed by your skin in any way.
[ Read: Swimming While Breastfeeding ]
Use Of Vegetable Dyes:
Rather than opting the chemical hair dyes, perming options or hair colors with ammonia and hydrogen peroxide that reacts with your skin, you can also opt for vegetable hair dyes as a safer alternative. Pigments present in the henna leaves give great color and sheen to your hair and can be used freely for coloring and conditioning of your hair during pregnancy and while you are nursing.
Temporary Curling And Straightening Methods:
Instead of perming or straightening your hair using chemicals or procedures of chemical re-bonding, you can opt for the temporary curling tongs or straighteners to change your hairstyle easily and safely. The heat protecting sprays and styling mousse ensure that your hair is safe from the effects of the heat and stays in style for long hours.
[ Read: Self Tanning While Breastfeeding ]
Did you find the article informative? Did you dye your hair while you were breastfeeding? Share your comments with us below. We would love to hear from you.
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